Richard Stallman's Political Notes' Journal

Over 330,000 excess deaths in Great Britain linked to austerity, finds study

*Over 330,000 excess deaths in Great Britain linked to [cutting the support for poor people], finds study.*

Now Truss wants to cut even more, which will surely increase the rate of death of poor people.

Social Media Is Probably Doomed

Predicting the disappearance of "social" media.

Immigrant Rights Advocates Tell Congress to 'Step Up' After Court Declares DACA Illegal

A panel of a federal appeals court overturned the DACA policy that protects immigrants who have grown up in the US.

There are two more stages of appeal before a final judgment, but right-wing judges are likely to eliminate it. What is needed is to pass a law explicitly to give then residency, and the opportunity to apply for citizenship. But this will be hard to do, with the Senate split 51-50 and no way to eliminate the filibuster.

Energy crisis? It isn’t that we have too little oil and gas. It’s that we have too much

UK Green leader: *Energy crisis? It isn’t that we have too little oil and gas. It’s that we have too much.*

Kenyan President Says 'Wind and Solar Energy Can Power the Development of Africa'

The president of Kenya says Africa can get out of the fossil fuel trap, and points to what Kenya has already achieved.

Can African countries help each other get out of fossil fuel? That would enable them to get out of poverty.

UN accuses richest countries of ‘imprudent gamble’ in inflation fight

* [A UN] Report says policies of high interest rates and austerity risk triggering global recession that will hit developing nations hardest.*

The Rise of the Right-Wing University

Beware of right-wing domination and indoctrination in US colleges and universities.

Putin’s war is illegal – and Russians fleeing the draft may have the right to asylum

Arguably, Russians fleeing to avoid being conscripted have a valid claim for asylum under international treaties.

That is an interesting argument, but it ought not to be secondary. If a country wants to support Ukraine, it would be utterly foolish not to help Russians avoid fighting for Putin against Ukraine. Isn't this obvious? I can't understand how officials can miss this.

Elon Musk suggests making Taiwan a ‘special administrative zone’ similar to Hong Kong

Elon Musk proposed to consign 20 million people to Chinese repression for the sake of his profits.

China has gone out of its way to show, in Hong Kong, how little its promises of a "special administrative zone" are worth. Musk evidently hopes people will choose to forget this because they fawn on him so much.

Corporate-Tied Republican Party’s Cruelty to Children

Ralph Nader: * The GOP has blocked pro-family votes and pushed for corporate anti-family policies.*

'Their Price Strategies Are Bearing Fruit': Oil and Coal Profits Surge 340%

US Big Oil profits grew by 4 times between 1st quarter and 2nd quarter 2022.

They raised prices because they found they could get away with it.

To cut inflation, we need to tax them a lot more, and distribute the funds to the non-rich.

Permian Basin Leaking 14 Times More Methane Than EPA Estimates: Study

*Permian Basin [gas pipelines] Leaking 14 Times More Methane Than EPA Estimates: Study.*

The Draconian Silencing of Those Who Call Out 'Israeli Apartheid'

Several human beings and one company that tried to acknowledge the apartheid system of Israel's occupation of Palestine have recently been silenced.

On a side issue raised by the article, people have the right to criticize or to defend Israel's occupation practices; UC Berkeley must respect academic and political freedom by allowing people to present either of those sides (and other sides of the issue as well). We must reject all claims that "presenting a certain political stand is harassment because it makes the campus unsafe for group XYZ," because we cannot accept any excuse to abolish political freedom of speech.

Supreme Court Poised to Shred What's Left of Voting Rights Act, Plaintiffs Warn

*Supreme Court Poised to Shred What's Left of Voting Rights Act, Plaintiffs Warn.*

What can we possibly do to stop this?

The article linked to just above displays symbolic bigotry by capitalizing "black" but not "white". (To avoid endorsing bigotry, capitalize both words or neither one.) I denounce bigotry, and normally I will not link to articles that promote it. But I make exceptions for some articles that I consider particularly important. That article is one of the exceptions.

Covid wave looms in Europe as booster campaign makes slow start

Complacent Europe is seeing the start of another wave of Covid-19.

'Enough is Enough': Hundreds of Thousands March Across the UK

Hundreds of thousands protested in the UK against the Tories' piss-on-the-poor economic policies.

National Archives says it still doesn’t have all Trump White House records

The National Archives say that some of the corrupter's high officials are still holding on to government records that they should have handed in to the national archives.

The Truth Behind “Self-Made” Billionaires

Watch Robert Reich explain how billionaires get their wealth: not creating it, but taking it from the rest of us.

The US ultra-rich justify their low tax rates with three myths – all of them rubbish

*The US ultra-rich justify their low tax rates with three myths — all of them rubbish.*

European Commission aims to end secret system protecting fossil fuel holdings

The European Commission wants to abolish or get out of the Energy Charter Treaty, a business-supremacy treaty that makes countries pay oil companies "compensation" for laws that cut down oil extraction.

Key bridge linking Crimea to Russia hit by huge explosion

A big explosion on the Kerch bridge (between Russia and Crimea) has made the bridge unusable until major repairs are finished. If Ukrainian forces in Donetsk get within artillery range of the Sea of Azov, they will be able to cut off most supply to most of the territory that Putin has conquered. Putin's attempts to send supplies by ship have resulted in defeat.

Top robot companies pledge not to add weapons to their tech to avoid harm risk

Six prominent robot manufacturers committed not to add weapons to "general use" robots.

I think that means they will have a separate product line for militarized robots.

Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ detected in commonly used insecticides in US, study finds

*Toxic [PFOS] detected in commonly used insecticides in US, study finds.*

Hand-washing and mask-wearing: Covid rules we would be wise to keep

*Hand-washing and mask-wearing: Covid rules we would be wise to keep.*

Likewise higher mandatory standards for indoor ventilation in schools, workplaces, stores and transport.

(Satire) Far-Right Republican Wondering What He Has To Do To Get Media To Stop Calling Him Moderate

(satire) *Far-Right Republican Wondering What He Has To Do To Get Media To Stop Calling Him "Moderate."*

He should feel much better once he realizes that "moderate", in mainstream US journalism, always means "right wing."

Shell chief: governments may need to tax energy firms to help the poor

The CEO of Shell calls for European countries to tax oil companies and use the money to help the poor.

This is instead of capping the price that individuals pay — because such a cap entails a big subsidy to the oil companies.

As Fed Pushes to 'Get Wages Down,' Study Shows CEO Pay Has Soared by 1,460% Since 1978

*As Fed Pushes to "Get Wages Down," Study Shows CEO Pay Has Soared by [a factor of 15] Since 1978.*

(Satire) High Schoolers Given Detention For Cutting Class During Active Shooting.

(satire) *High Schoolers Given Detention For Cutting Class During Active Shooting.*

The broken US economy breeds inequality and insecurity. Here’s how to fix it

James K Galbraith: *The broken US economy breeds inequality and insecurity. Here's how to fix it.*

US justice department says Trump didn’t turn over all documents – report

*US justice department says [the bullshitter] didn’t turn over all [government] documents — report.*